Climbing structure



March 25 1924.

S. HINTON CLIMBING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 24. 1921 HF L atented Mar. 25, 1924.

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SEBASTIAN HINTON, OF WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T JUNGLEGYIVI, INCL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLIMBING STRUCTURE.

Application .filed October 24, 1921. Serial No. 509,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEBASTIAN HINTON,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winnetka, in the county of Cook and State of'Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Climbing Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to playground apparatus, and particularly to climbing frames adapted to permit children to play climbing games, to climb in groups and otherwise to obtain full physical and psychological benefits of climbing.

5 In my previous applications Serial No. 398,178, filed July 22, 1920, and Nos. 414,030 and 414,031, filed October 1, 1920, I have disclosed and claimed, as a playground apparatus, a climbing apparatus, comprising a 2 cellular structure made up of uprights and criss-crossed horizontal. climbing elements adapted to permit free climbing electively in three dimensions from points within the structure.

The present invention is an improved apparatus, simpler and more economical in construction and erection and provided with various other improvements of importance. In the drawings, which disclose an illus- 80 trative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure, it being understood that the remaining portions are symmetrical with the parts shown,

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the joints used to connect the elements of the structure, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the first layer of climbing elements. to The climbing frames of the prior applications, referred to, have employed short pieces reaching from vertical to vertical for the horizontal climbing elements. This construction I have found somewhat expensive 4.5 to produce, and laborious to erect; while therefore maintaining the general structure shown in said applications I have adopted a novel and exceedingly eflicient method of its construction.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the structure comprises verticals 1 and horizontal climhing elements 2 and 2 arranged to form a cellular climbing structure. Instead of utilizing short len hs, 66 however, I- employ preferably throug out the structure, full length verticals and full length horizontals. Thus referring specifically to the vertical 1 (at the front Fig. 1) it will be seen that this comprises a single piece of pipe extending from the ground up continuously. Referring to one of the as sociated horizontals 2, it will be observed that this also comprises a full length pipe, instead of a succession of short lengths. Thepipe 2 is laid alongside of a series of pipes '1, and is secured thereto by U-bolts 4, the legs of which pass through holes drilled through pipes 1, and are secured by nuts 5 (Fig. 2).

Referring now to pipes 2 (the other series of horizontal pipes crisscrossed-with pipes 2)., it will be seen that these also extend through the structure (at right angles to pipes 2) and are also secured by U-bolts 3 having legs 4. U-bolts 4 and 8, being at right angles, are mutually straddled, i. e., lower leg of U-bo-lt 3 passes between the legs of U-bolt 4; by this means the pipes 2 and 2' are brought closely adjacent each other, one resting on the other, and the nuts 5 are brought either Within the corner defined by the vertical andhorizontal pipes 2 or so close thereto that they do not scufi the childrens shoes. The nuts are preferably domed or rounded, and made fairly flat, while the U-bolts are of a length to come no more than flush with the nuts when drawn up tight.

This construction besides permitting the use of full length pipe for the horizontals and full length pipe, merely drilled, for the verticals, also provides a junction of great strength and permanent rigidity, but which is, at the same time, resilient enough to resist all shocks and jars. This resiliency is probably due to the fact, which may be observed on a close examination, that drawing up the U-bolts causes both pipes, as land 2, or 1 and 2', Fig. 3, to spring inwardly at the point of contact, each pipe indenting the other slightly. This resilient compressive offset serves permanently to maintain the joint tight and strong and no looseness is observable even after many months of severe strain. 1

It will be remembered the structure, as a whole, frequently has sixty to seventy children, of an average weight of one hundred and fifteen pounds approximately, and sometimes these children may rock back and are forth in unison. To withstand the resulting strains great strength is required- -the individual resilient grip of the U-bolts at every junction oint of the pipes serves the purpose admira 1y. It further avoids dangers due to rusting and the weakening of threaded ipe at the threads. I regar vthe provision of pipe laid alongside the verticals and clamped thereto as of great importance both from the standpoint of service and also from that of simplicity and economy of manufacture and erection. I shall now describe the apparatus as a whole. In this embodiment it is made eight cubes long, four wide, five high,'the cubes are twenty-five inches from p1pe center to pipe center. This construction provides an apparatus on which seventy children have frequently been observed actively playing without friction. The top layer of cubes is two cubes wide by six long, leaving a platform or gallery 6, around which the children may run, and also reducing the height from which a clear drop is permitted to eight feet four inches approximatelya safe height even for three year olds. There is no danger of an uninterrupted fall within the structure for reasons which are obvious.

The corner posts are made of stouter material and each is provided with a diagonal brace 30as shown, which provides a quick escape, for a child being pursued in a game of monkey tag-or a fire escape and any other things which the childs min j suggests. Y

The oblong shape of the structure makes it ideally suited for calisthenics-thus the supervisor standing on one side can easily see all the children at workf .Furthermore it permits the election in a game of monkey tag for the pursued to escape by faster climbing than the pursuer, or to get quickly to the outside and run around the structure I on the groundwhich increases the enjoyment of a game of monkey tag.

Referring now to the lower regions of the structure, it will be observed that it is skeletonized up to the second layer, while various cross pieces are provided. Fig. 4 shows a plan of the first layer of horizontals. It will be observed that many verticals are cut off at the second layer as at 7, Fig. 1. The verticals that reach into the ground are those shown as circles in Fig. 4:, and indicated by the numeral 1.

By this construction children can run untain of the horizontal pipes are left open at their ends, in this instance all except the thirdlayer. This provides an opportunity for children to look through the pi es from one side to the other and to te ephone through. Inasmuch as the children invent and play numerous organized games, such as ship, hotel, etc., requiring a manager, captain, or the like, and look-outs, bell boys, etc., the telephoning of vital and immediate information from one point in the structure to another assumes, great im portance and adds to the adaptability of the apparatus for varied imaginative and organized games. Furthermore secret messages may be concealed in the pipe ends, and so I Will now describe an accessory, which when added combines with the structure to make a unitary device,an elevated runway. This consists of a series of horizontal extensions of the horizontals of one layer in this instance of the transverse series or pipes 1, of the third layer, which it was previously pointed out was threaded and capped. By removing the caps, the extension may be connected, by sleeves, to the horizontals. These extensions penetrate at their outer ends into the large pipe 8 which in turn is supported on the verticals 9.

This runway not only makes an added gallery or platform similar to gallery 6; but its main. function is to permit suspensory exercise such as swinging by the arms and hanging travel, hand over hand. It is very useful in calisthenics as an entire class of children maybe givenchinning or other exercise on it. It also adds variety and interest to games of tag, follow the leader, etc. It is a well recognized fact that the more children can be encouraged to hang and swing by their arms, the better will be their posture and the stronger their shoulders,

acks and chests; The'human spine is a hanging spine, not yet quite adapted to be supported from below, and in all but robust children, it is apt to sag and droop, producing stoop shoulders.

The runway attachment, in combination with the climbing frame encourages children, as they develop their arms, backs and shoulders by climbing, to resort more and more to actual hanging by the arms, and it has been found by competent observers that children playing on the climbing a matter of fact do in increasin degree swing suspended along the mo ey runway in games of tag, as messengers carrying urgent reports. in important situations occurring in their imaginative games, etc.

The natural and naturally most attractive play of any young animal is that which best and most symmetricall develops its body;

climbing is the one of t e most natural layactivities of children. Physical deve opfraine as properly developed arms and shoulders,

straight backs, and strong chests, instead of well developed legs and underdeveloped backs, shoulders and chests. 7

It is obvious that the invention herein described is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof here presented for illustrative purposes, but is more properly defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1 1. a round a paratus comprisin a series oi u i ii'ights, a plurality of climbing elements arranged to cross each other and provide a multiplicity of adjoining cells, said uprights having bolt-holes extendin uprights and clamping the climbing elements thereto.

2. A playground structure comprisin a cellular climbing frame made of vertical supports and mutirally crossed series of horizontal climbing bars, secured to said supports one above each other, and so spaced as to permit climbing aboutin the structure, certain of said climbing bars being extended beyond the side of the structure to permit children to hang and swing alongside the structure.

3. A playground apparatus comprising in combination a series of vertical supports, horizontal climbing members arranged in two series, the members of each series cromzneeaaie ing the members of the other, said 6limbing members extending through the structure from side to side, and laid alon side and secured to the vertical supports, al so constructed, proportioned and combined as to provide a cellular climbing structure adapted to permit children to climb about within the structure in any direction, pasy sages in the lower part of said structure to permit children to pass thereunder and climb upwardly thereunto from various points.

4. A playground apparatus comprising in combination a series of vertical supports, horizontal climbing members arranged in two series, the members of each series crossing the members of the other, said climbing members extending through the structure from side to side, and laid alongside and secured to the vertical supports, all so constructed, proportioned and combined as to provide a cellular climbing structure adapt ed to permit children to climb about within the structure in any direction, passages in the lower part of said structure to permit children to pass thereunder and climb upg wardly thereunto from various points, and therethrough, U-bolts passing through the means to prevent children from running rm der the structure in a straight line.

5. A playground apparatus comprisin a plurality of spaced vertical members, a p urality of series of horizontal members, said series being vertically spaced apart and each series comprising members extending in different directions and contacting at their points of crossing with each other and with one of said vertical members, and bolts securing said horizontal members to said vertical members at said points of crossing.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of October, A. D 1921.

SEBASTIAN HINTON. 

